Lively Discoveries
by Lucicelo
Summary: AU in and AU. What if Hiroki kept Misaki in his room during the night of Misaki's kidnapping? Drabble series.
1. Change of fate

**_A/N: AU in an AU drabble series with the Kamijou brothers that I was going to start after Truths revealed. I don't remember if I ever posted these shorts on this website, but I rewrote what I did a couple of years ago. The length of these chapters will vary so I won't promise real long chapters._**

 ** _I'm sorry on the wait on Truths Revealed. Since I've swayed back to Junjou, I'll try to work on it soon._**

 ** _If you like what you read, consider donating to my Kofi!_**

 ** _-Lucicelo_**

* * *

 _1: Change of fate_

Exhausted from his afternoon of extracurriculars, Hiroki returned home to a smiling infant in his mother's arms.

From spending time with acquaintances, he wanted nothing more than to return home. Though, he didn't want to give up any of his activities because of his inability to tolerate people for long. Besides, a few of his classes ended in a month, leaving him time to enjoy himself at home. He wanted to spend more time with Misaki anyway.

Hiroki declared. "I'm back."

Fuyumi smiled at him and made careful strides in keeping a good grip on the squirming infant. "Welcome home, sweetheart." She chuckled as she motioned to the child in her arms. "Misaki has been eager to see you. When he saw me walk away from the living room, he guessed I was coming to welcome you back."

"Hi nii-chan!" Misaki exclaimed in delight. "You back!"

Smiling light, he scooped up Misaki from her, kissing his cheek as he slipped off his shoes. "Hello, Misaki." Misaki laid a wet kiss on his cheek. "You need to learn to kiss without leaving drool on me." Holding Misaki in one arm, he picked up his shoes and set them inside of the shoe rack.

"Before I forget," Fuyumi waited for Hiroki to get into the step before she walked alongside him. "Your father's cousin is here for the night. He mentioned something about a conference in the city and didn't want to rent out a hotel room. He's sleeping in the guest room right now."

"Yeah...I don't want to be surprised if I wake up in the middle of the night again." Hiroki pouted.

The last time his parents didn't tell him about any guests, he yelped, he denied it later on, when he saw the silhouette of his Uncle Nagare during the night. To his credit, he thought there was a ghost in their home because of the muttering. Come to find out, his Uncle Nagare tended to mutter when he was half asleep. His Aunt validated this fact and patted his shoulder in sympathy.

Fuyumi concealed her chuckle before Hiroki noticed. "Now, why don't I reheat some dinner and you can relax in the living room?"

"Sure." He tickled Misaki's sides as they entered the living room. Not wanting to watch tv, Hiroki sat down on the foam mat floor area, playing with building blocks. Misaki giggled every time he pushed the tower down; Hiroki shook his head in amusement.

Fuyumi returned ten minutes later with a tray of food and a glass of tea. Setting it on the coffee table, she picked up Misaki from the floor, interrupting their playtime. "I have to give him a bath before it gets too late." Misaki began whining in her arms. Fuyumi pressed a kiss on Misaki's forehead. "Oh no, you won't get out of this one. I don't like smelly babies, Misaki. You'll see nii-chan after your bath."

Once Misaki and his mother left the room, Hiroki ate his dinner. He left no vegetable in sight and gulped down his tea. Then, he got up to wash the dishes in the kitchen before he forgot. He didn't want either one of his parents to tell him _again_ to wash his dishes. The last verbal lashing from his father still made him embarrassed to think about.

Putting them on the drying rack, he went toward the bathroom near Misaki's room. He saw none of them in the bathroom so he turned towards Misaki's room. He opened the door and saw his mother drying off Misaki with one of his soft towels.

"I'm done." Hiroki announced as he walked into the room. Before his mother said anything else, he interjected. "I washed my dishes, mom."

"Good." Fuyumi nodded in approval. "Just because we live in a lovely home, doesn't mean we can't do our share of chores every once in a while. We're not _slobs_. Isn't that right, Misa-chan?" She applied baby lotion on Misaki's skin while he squirmed from the sudden coldness.

"Mom, I want Misaki to sleep in my room tonight." Hiroki told his mother as she dressed Misaki in his pajamas. "I don't have anything to do tomorrow. So, if he wakes up, I won't lose any sleep."

Fuyumi hummed. "Are you sure, Hiro-chan?" She poked Misaki's nose, causing him to giggle. "Misaki tends to wake up in the middle of the night for a bottle. He might even wake up for a diaper change as well."

Hiroki assured her. "I know how to make a bottle of warm milk, mom. If I need a diaper, I'll get one from Misaki's room. We'll be fine."

"If you're sure." Fuyumi buttoned Misaki's shirt before depositing him into Hiroki's arms. "Try not to keep up too late, Hiro-chan. He needs more sleep than you."

Hiroki nodded his head. "I'm too tired to stay up anyway." He looked down at his brother and told him. "How about I read you a story before bed? Sound fun?" Misaki beamed up at him and clung to him on their way to his room.

* * *

Running into Hiroki's room, Fuyumi sighed in relief to see _both_ of her sons, asleep in Hiroki's bed. _Unharmed_. _Safe_. She almost collapsed on the floor from the weight that left her shoulders. Throughout her run, her mind concocted the worst case scenarios over the state of her children. She hated to admit that she panicked when Soshi's cousin ran into their room, screaming about an intruder. Soshi handled calling the police while she went to check up on the kids.

Standing at the door, she heard the front gate open with a large screech. Knowing that her husband and his cousin stood at the front door, this left her with some time to gather her bearings. Going further into a state of alarm didn't help her handle this situation.

Going to the window, Fuyumi made sure the lock stayed put before she inspected the room for anything strange. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she checked back on her sons. The adrenaline somewhat simmered down, but she remained concerned on account of the intruder who snuck into their home. Her husband's cousin managed to chase the person out of Misaki's room, but she didn't feel safe unless the property was searched.

Waking up from the sudden instance of noise, Hiroki muttered. "What's going on? Mom?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Fuyumi reassured Hiroki as she kissed his forehead. "Everything is fine. Just go back to sleep, okay? I'll tell you in the morning." Reaching over him, she kissed Misaki's cheek.

"Okay..." Hiroki laid down on his side, cuddled against Misaki, and fell back asleep.

In the morning, Hiroki hugged Misaki even longer than usual at the news of a stranger entering through Misaki's bedroom window. This incident caused him to drop more of his extra classes, leaving only piano and kendo for a few days of the week.


	2. Babysitting

_2_ _: Babysitting_

Parting his bangs to the side, Fuyumi kissed her little Misaki's forehead. He giggled, returning the action with a kiss on the cheek. Turning to her eldest son, she gave Hiroki a hug. His reassurance of keeping the house in one piece made her comfortable in leaving them on their own as usual. He added in how Misaki would sleep in his bed and not to worry about not seeing him in his bed.

Soshi ruffled the top of his sons heads before Fuyumi laid a hand on his right arm. Leaving money on the coffee table, knowing full well Hiroki wouldn't cook, they left the living room after saying their goodbyes. Misaki followed after them, leaving Hiroki alone with his new novel. The little boy waved at them from the front entrance with the biggest smile on his face. Soshi and Fuyumi waved before walking down the pathway to the front gate.

Misaki ran back to the living room. Expecting Hiroki to give him all his attention, his smile dimmed at the sight of Hiroki with his nose buried in his book. Pouting in petulance, he pouted before he walked closer to his brother. He attempted to keep his steps as quiet as possible, but Hiroki gave him a brief glance before looking back down on his book.

Hiroki found relief in having an afternoon where his well behaved brother caused no mischief. After the awkward lunch he spent with Akihiko and Takahiro, he wanted an uneventful afternoon. Remembering the way Akihiko comforted Takahiro over a family situation made him uncomfortable. He spoke his mind when he informed Takahiro over not worrying about problems that he couldn't help. Akihiko stepped in and berated him for his lack of empathy. Following up with telling him how he would never know about family problems when the Kamijou family experienced _nothing_ of the sort.

Hiroki bit his tongue for that moment. He didn't dare comment about the internal problems of his father's side of the family. His grandmother still disapproved of his mother, which caused her son to cut communication with her. None of them missed her incessant complaints, but Hiroki still accepted calls from his grandfather when he phoned the manor.

Besides, he knew Akihiko wouldn't believe him, so he swallowed the words before he spoke them.

An altercation ensued between Hiroki and Akihiko while Takahiro tried calming them down. As unsuccessful as he was, Takahiro still left with Akihiko leaving Hiroki alone on the rooftop. His foul mood followed him throughout the day, prompting others to leave him in his solitude. Hiroki steamed in anger that Akihiko defended Takahiro with such vigor when Akihiko had never taken the initiative on _his_ behalf. Upon realizing this truth, the feeling of hurt _still_ stung.

While sitting in the living room, he couldn't get over the fight.

Misaki waved his arms above his head which always got a chuckle out of Hiroki. It didn't work. In fact, Hiroki turned another page and got comfortable on his pillow. He even took a sip of his green tea and a bite from a sugar cookie.

Misaki started tap dancing using his slippers, which transformed into a sequence of noise. The light taps got louder as Misaki jumped in his routine. At some point, he picked up his plush toy and began dancing with him. Hiroki scrunched up his eyebrows at the distraction, but didn't give Misaki the attention he desired.

When the noise didn't stop, Hiroki stared up at Misaki who twirled in his _dance_ with his _dog_. In a stern tone, he told Misaki. "Stop doing making all that noise,Misaki. Sit down and do your homework. I know you haven't started a page of it."

Frowning, Misaki halted his actions. "But, Hiro nii-chan, it isn't due until Monday.."

"It's better to get started at least, now hop to it." He turned another page.

Misaki braved ignoring Hiroki's orders as he went to Hiroki's side. "What are you reading?"

Hiroki answered. "A book you're _too_ young to read that's what I'm reading. Start your school work Misaki. Now." Misaki tried getting in his lap to get a glimpse of the text. " _Misaki_! What's with your behavior today?!"

"I just want to be with you nii-chan.." Misaki muttered as he tried getting on Hiroki's lap, but the teen pushed him away.

"I know you do, but you have to listen to me and finish your homework. Mother and father will expect to see some work done when they come home from their date." Hiroki said while pointing to the door. "Stop being difficult and get your work."

Misaki whined. "I'm _not_ being difficult!"

"Yes, you are. Go now or I won't order in the dessert with our takeout order."

Misaki pouted as he crossed his arms. "You're _not_ being nice. You're supposed to be nice…"

"I never said I was nice, if I have to be bad to get you to listen so be it." He snatched away the cream colored stuffed dog, Misaki gaped at Hiroki's action.

Misaki grabbed onto the novel, but Hiroki had a good grip on the book. "No! Give Shiro back you jerk!"

Hiroki's grip slacked and the plush toy fell onto the floor. "What did you just say to me brat? Repeat that again?"

Misaki managed to keep his composure even though his brother began to scare him. "You..you..are a jerk face."

Hiroki snapped. "At least, I don't still wet the bed at 8 years old!"

"Liar! I don't do that anymore! I stopped when I was 6!" Misaki exclaimed. "You're the one who has stinky feet!"

Hiroki yelled back. "I bathe every single night and you know this! You are a simple minded brat that doesn't know anything! All you can do is run after mother and father, you don't stand up for yourself at all!"

Misaki's eyes prickled with tears as he cried out. "Because I'm little!"

"That's a likely excuse. When I was your age I was able to be on _my own_. You cling to us every chance you get and quite frankly it's _annoying_!"

Misaki let a few tears fall down his face before grabbing a page from the novel and ripped it in half. He ran out of the room. Thinking Hiroki ran after him, he went even faster. The pitter patter of his fact feet echoed throughout the manor as he went straight to his bedroom.

Hiroki recollected what he said in the last couple of minutes. He facepalmed, muttering how stupid he acted. He took out his anger on his beloved brother who did _nothing_ wrong. His eyes caught on Shiro who laid on its side, he reached for it and picked it up. Dusting a few parts of the pristine fur, he heard faint sound of Misaki slamming his bedroom door.

Hiroki stood up, dropped his novel on the floor and held Shiro in his arms. "I fucked up big time."

* * *

Misaki tried keeping himself from crying, but his hiccupping did nothing more than prompt him to cry even more. Wiping his tears with his sleeves and sheets, he laid down on the bed. He curled into a ball and clutched his pillow tight in his arms. He didn't understand why this fight started, all he wanted was his brother's attention. It wasn't too much to ask.

Wiping his tears with the back of his hand, he wished he had Shiro back to cuddle in his arms. Shiro always brought him comfort when he needed it. He cuddled with his pillow as a replacement for his oldest buddy.

"Am I really that clingy?" Misaki burrowed his face into the pillow, creating wet spots from his tears. "I…I..don't think I am…I just love mommy, daddy and Hiro nii-san so much.."

Misaki heard Hiroki knocking on the door and gripped the pillow even harder. He thought Hiroki was mad at him so he stayed quiet. He didn't want to make him even angrier.

Hiroki used a gentle tone when he inquired. "Misaki?"

Misaki jumped and uttered out in a quivering voice. "…Hiro nii-san…"

In an instant, Hiroki felt horrible for his behavior. The happy little ball of sunshine who loved him without question was _upset_ and he _caused_ all of this.

"Misaki…may I come in?"

" _No_!" Misaki cried out, the pillow muffled out his voice. "Go away!"

Hiroki stared at the wooden door. "Please let me in, I'll explain everything okay?"

Misaki lifted his head from the pillow. "No! I don't want to see you!"

Hiroki stood outside, clutching Shiro in his arms. "I didn't mean what I said at all. I unleashed all the anger I held in from someone else on you...you didn't deserve it at all."

Misaki rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "Then, you shouldn't have done it! Be mean to the person you're mad at …not me."

Hiroki flinched and worried his lower lip. "I'm so sorry Misaki."

"You are a liar."

Hiroki opened the door and walked inside. A pillow was thrown to his face making direct contact. In a way, he felt proud of Misaki's improved aim.

"I said go away!" The pillow fell to the floor as Hiroki sat on Misaki's bed. "You never called me a brat before.." He hiccupped as tears streamed down his face. "How could you say such mean things to me?"

"I don't know why I said those things, they just came out of my mouth. You can kick Akihiko in the shins when you see him next time. He's the one who made me mad." Hiroki explained, he reached out his hand and wiped the tears from Misaki's face. "Forgive me?"

Misaki's lower lip quivered before he jumped into Hiroki's arms and cried in his chest. Hiroki wrapped his arms around him, kissing the top of his head and laid his cheek on that spot. Misaki shivered in his arms and let the rest of the tears flow out like a river.

Hiroki rocked him in his arms as he hummed a song his mother sang to them to comfort them. Misaki clung to his shirt, rubbing his face into the fabric, creating wet spots in random places.

Misaki calmed down enough to mutter. "Mr. Rabbit man needs to be punished."

Hiroki arched a brow. "Mr. Rabbit Man?"

Misaki looked up at Hiroki, his eyes turned red from his crying binge. "Isn't that what your other friend calls him?"

"Ugh…that _nickname_ …it's so stupid." Hiroki said as Misaki sat on his lap and kissed his cheek. "You are forgiving me?"

Misaki nodded his head. "Yup...love you nii-chan."

Hiroki kissed his forehead. "Love you too kiddo." He moved his body in order to get out of bed, but Misaki pulled his shirt sleeve.

Misaki gave him his best pout. "Don't go yet."

Hiroki chuckled. "I have to go order our food. The phone is in the living room and my arm doesn't stretch that far."

Misaki wrapped his legs around Hiroki's torso. "Carry me, _please_?"

"You're lucky I haven't lost my arm strength." Hiroki got up and balanced Misaki in his arms. "Alright, want me to order an extra dessert for you?"

Misaki smiled big as he exclaimed. "Yeah!"

"After you do some of your homework." Hiroki said. Bending down, he held Misaki in one arm as he picked up his backpack. "You're not putting it off again, Misaki. You'll rush through it on Sunday because you were lazy."

"I guess that's fair.." Misaki held Hiroki tighter and they walked to the living room. "You're not mad about your book right?"

"No. I can easily replace that book without a problem. Don't worry about it." Hiroki assured Misaki as he took the phone off the receiver. He pressed the correct numbers and placed their order. Misaki piped in his dessert option with gusto.

The rest of the night went well with no problems. Hiroki and Misaki ate a wonderful dinner while watching a program in Hiroki's room. Misaki eagerly dug into his dessert. He finished his homework without complaints which earned him a pat on the head.

Returning from their date, Fuyumi and Soshi caught their sons sleeping in Hiroki's bed. Misaki laid his head on Hiroki's chest with his brother's arm over his back. Pillows surrounded the boys, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Yet, they forgot to pick out a thicker blanket before they went to bed.

Fuyumi snapped a few photos of her sons before Soshi placed a blanket on them before they caught a cold. Turning off the lights, they wandered to their room so they could sleep themselves.


	3. Walking Home

3 _: Walking home_

Leaning against the school gate, Misaki gripped the strap of his backpack in a hard grip. Biting his lip, he kept his line of sight on the tree across the street to not look at his schoolmates. The earlier commentary still resonated in his mind, running on repeat. His mood dropped enough where even his teacher noticed. He gave her a fake smile, giving her a false excuse on feeling tired. Somehow, she believed him and went on to teach the class.

Digging his left shoe onto the ground, he created a small hole. He imagined his mother scolding him for dirtying his shoes.

Screaming children brought him out of his thoughts as he turned and saw some of his classmates run to their mothers. One of the main kids who teased him, smirked at his direction as he hugged his mother. Almost as if he showed off his mother to him. The woman was pretty, but Misaki found his mom way prettier. He found that he didn't need to parade his mother around to prove a point. Since he kept his mouth shut, they assumed she wasn't beautiful and teased him. Just dumb words that Misaki knew he could handle, but he tried his best not to react.

Misaki looked away and tightened his grip on his backpack. His knuckles almost turned white from the pressure. He didn't understand why they targeted him, all he ever tried to do was try to befriend them. He sort of became friends with them, until one day they turned their back on him and began their teasing.

He should've followed his father's advice and defended himself from the beginning. His father gave him different scenarios in preschool and laid out different solutions. He thought he might handle himself on his own without an adult, but blanked out during the moment. Maybe, his older brother knew how to handle these boys.

He heard someone yell. "Hey Misaki!"

Misaki lifted up his head, a smile formed on his face as he spotted Hiroki walking toward him. Hiroki had one hand in his pocket, backpack hoisted over his shoulder. His brother even smiled at him. One of those rare smiles that family got the chance to see. The young boy's mood lifted with the presence of his brother that he ran to his side.

"Hiro nii-san!" Misaki exclaimed in glee. He grabbed Hiroki's pocketed hand and interacted their fingers. "You're here! I thought you wouldn't be home until after dark."

Before Hiroki called Misaki's name, he noticed the sad mood his brother exuded. He planned on asking Misaki about his day, maybe to get any information out of him. Although, from the sneaking glances coming from some of the other boys, he somewhat suspected the overall problem. Ruffling Misaki's hair, he sighed at the giggle coming from his brother.

For now, he'd let him hold his hand as usual and say nothing until later.

"I didn't have any school activities and wanted to come pick you up." Hiroki told him. "Ready to go?"

Misaki exclaimed. "Yeah! Can we go and eat ice cream today instead? Is that okay?"

Hiroki nodded his head. "Sure, I don't mind. It's hot today and mother won't get mad over an ice pop."

The other children stared at the older boy, thinking he looked cool in their eyes. The remaining mothers smiled at the brothers, noticing their obvious closeness and how comfortable they behaved around one another.

Misaki's bullies went away in a huff, they couldn't do any teasing now that Hiroki came around. In a way, they feared Misaki said something to his parents and made a meeting with the principal. In their private school, the principal had a zero tolerance policy. Plenty of children were kicked out over a three strike rule. They risked getting in trouble over messing with Misaki Kamijou, but the urge to push him around grasped a hold of them.

Besides, Misaki wouldn't rat them out to any adults. Misaki never said anything to defend himself or fought back.

They met Hiroki's eyes and shivered when they saw his no nonsense glare. An all knowing look was in his eyes as he walked away with Misaki. Ignorant of his brother's glare, he babbled about his art project.

One child said. "I think we should lay off of Kamijou for a while."


	4. Rabbit Man

_4: Rabbit Man_

Misaki snuggled deeper into his brother's pillow when he heard the door open. He stayed put and kept a hold of the pillow. Hiroki didn't get annoyed at him taking naps in his bed. Ever since he was little he remembered napping with his brother at some point during the day. Sometimes, their father joined in on his _exhausting_ days at work.

At some point, his mother took a picture of them and hung on the wall. All three of them tried to get her to take it down, but one look from Fuyumi Kamijou and they relented. No one dared to go against her when it came to her family pictures.

He patted Shiro on the head, the plush dog laid on a different the pillow with its own blanket covering it.

The person walked inside, but stayed put at the door. "Hiroki?"

Misaki opened his eyes, pouting in a huff. Oh not him again.

He closed his eyes and pulled Shiro to his chest. Anytime Akihiko visited them, his brother acted different. Whenever Takahiro, another one of his brother's friends, an acquaintance his brother corrected him, visited, there was a weird tension between the three of them. On some days, Hiroki looked sad from looking at Akihiko.

Anyone that made his brother sad wasn't a good person in his opinion.

Akihiko stared down at the lump under the blankets and sighed. He saw _Hiroki_ twitch when he called out his name, but made no move to look up at him. Maybe, Hiroki faked going back to sleep to avoid him. Why he tried avoiding him? He didn't have a clue.

"Hiroki, I came over to leave the book you loaned me sometime ago. Tonight, I'm leaving for England over summer break so I'm saving you a trip of finding out at my house."

Misaki peeked over the blanket. "Hiro nii-san isn't here rabbit man."

Akihiko turned on the light and saw Misaki staring back at him with his stuffed dog in his arms. He mentally sighed. Having no idea how to handle children, he didn't know the right way to speak to them. He tended to stare or ignore them until the child grew bored of him. Hiroki's little brother, Misaki, tended to follow them around the house or even crawl into Hiroki's lap.

Hiroki let Misaki do as he wished, with some limits, but showered his brother in affection. A ruffle of the hair, a kiss on the forehead or cheek. Little things that seemed odd for Hiroki to do. Misaki reciprocated the actions through snuggles and his own kisses.

A small part of Akihiko felt jealous over the relationship of the Kamijou brothers. For as long as he knew Hiroki, he never witnessed a fight or felt any indication of these two losing any love for the other. A clear difference between him and his father's _other_ son.

He assumed that the healthy family environment caused such a feat.

Akihiko inquired. "Rabbit man?"

"Your other friend calls you that…nii-chan told me."

"Yes, that's right." Akihiko placed the book on Hiroki's desk for a moment. "Where is Hiroki?"

Misaki stuck his tongue out. "I'll never tell you, rabbit man."

Akihiko furrowed his eyebrows. Hiroki always spoke about how nice and respectful Misaki acted. How Misaki Kamijou didn't cause any trouble or mischief. Whenever Hiroki left the room, Misaki turned bratty and mouthed off at him. The moment Hiroki walked back into the room, Misaki turned into an angel.

From watching Misaki's interactions with other people, it seemed he was the only one Misaki turned his nose up to.

What did he ever do to him?

"Listen kid, I'm just here to personally hand Hiroki his book before he thinks I'm keeping it forever." Akihiko motioned to the book that he left on the dresser table.

"Then leave it there, I'll tell nii-chan you left it."

" _No_."

Misaki glared at him and held Shiro tighter in his arms. "Go away. _I'm_ supposed to be with Hiro nii-chan all afternoon after my nap, not _you_. You can just go away and never return."

Akihiko rolled his eyes. "First of all, I'm not leaving until I see him and second, you still take naps at 8 years old? Aren't you too old for that?"

Misaki threw a pillow at his direction which hit Akihiko square in the face. The Kamijou aim grew stronger in Misaki's little frame. "No! I feel better after I sleep. Besides, Hiro nii-chan says it's good that I take naps so I'm not so tired later in the day. He takes naps with me too sometimes."

Akihiko narrowed his eyes at Misaki, scowling at the impudent child.

Misaki stared at him back with equal displeasure.

A deep voice broke through their stare down. "You should get going Usami, Misaki just told you that Hiroki is not home."

Akihiko turned around and saw Soshi holding a tray of food in his hands. "He's visiting Fuyumi's family on the other side of town and he returns late this afternoon. Waiting for him at the moment wouldn't be advised."

Akihiko froze when he met Soshi's cold brown stare which bore into his stunned purple ones. He hated to admit that Soshi Kamijou intimidated him, _way_ more than his own father.

Rumors spread throughout his manor's servants of Soshi Kamijou's callous mannerisms. A cold, _emotionless_ statue of a man. Yet, he caught Soshi laughing and smiling in the presence of his family. A different man from the recollections of staff or ex employees.

Akihiko didn't understand the scrutiny the came from Misaki and Soshi. Fuyumi treated him with warmth and kindness. She rarely judged anyone unless the situation called foe it. At some point, he thought the pair grew jealous that he took a chunk of Hiroki's free time away from them. Though, he figured out about their overprotective tendencies.

Every single Kamijou tended to overshadow one another when it came to outsiders.

In his opinion, Hiroki could protect himself. He didn't need an 8 year old kid and a 40 year old man chaperoning him.

Soshi walked inside of the room and went toward the bedside dresser drawer. "I found those cookies you hid in the pantry Misaki," Setting the tray on the dresser, he pulled out a small plastic bag full of chocolate chip cookies from his yukata sleeve. Misaki's eyes widened in shock as Soshi tossed them into his hands. "Find a better hiding spot, son."

Misaki nodded his head before hiding the cookies under the covers. "Yes, papa."

"You know Hiroki could've mistaken those as his own, so put your name on them as well." He turned to Akihiko. "If your business is settled, I suggest you leave and come back at a later time."

Akihiko nodded his head and walked out.

When Akihiko was far enough away, Soshi commented. "I heard you heckling him, Misaki."

Misaki ducked his head as he said. "I'm sorry, but he just gets on my nerves sometimes. I know I'm not supposed to be mean…"

"Don't worry, he gets on my nerves too." Misaki lifted his head up in surprise. "Just don't let Fuyumi or Hiroki see you doing it."

Misaki said. "I know papa, mama and nii-san haven't caught me yet."

"Though, it is nice to see you fighting back, just don't turn to insults to win." Misaki hung to his every word as he nodded his head. "You should eat your snacks, Hiroki is about to arrive."

"He's coming early?!" Misaki exclaimed in glee. "Yay!"

Soshi chuckled. "I'll send him here when he gets here."

Soshi left the room while Misaki ate his snacks. In the early morning before he left, Hiroki told him about new board game and he was excited to play it.


	5. Nicknames

_5: Nicknames_

Misaki wondered why his mother called his _tough_ older brother, _little butterfly_. Out of all the nicknames in the world, she chose that one. In his eyes, Hiroki didn't behave delicate like a butterfly or even seemed soft. He took the soft part back, his brother loved cuddling with him. Hiroki just didn't like holding people who were not family.

His mother called him _little bird_ , as a reference to his tendency to wake up early. Now, _this_ nickname made sense to him because he woke up early almost every single day. Hiroki's nickname confused him.

Misaki took it upon himself to walk up to his mother right after Hiroki left with Akihiko. He disliked the fact that his brother left with Rabbit Man, but his quest in finding out the truth overshadowed his annoyance of the guy. He hugged his mother's waist as they waved Hiroki goodbye.

When Hiroki was out of ear-shot and his line of sight, Misaki and his mother closed the front door. His mom ushered him toward the kitchen to prepare a small lunch. As she began washing the vegetables in the sink, he piped up from his seat. "Mama?"

Fuyumi managed to heard him over the running water. "Yes, sweetheart?" Setting the veggies on the counter, she took out the cutting board, a knife, and a peeler.

"Why do you call Hiro nii-san, _little butterfly_ , mama?"

Fuyumi looked at Misaki and chuckled. "Oh sweetheart, I enjoy calling him my butterfly."

"But, nii-chan is no butterfly, he's tough as nails. There _has_ to be a reason." Misaki told his mother and she nodded her head in understanding.

"I know he's not an actual butterfly, Misaki. If I recall, this dates back to when Hiroki was a toddler." Fuyumi began as she peeled off the skin of the vegetables. "One time, I left Hiroki sleeping outside underneath that big cherry blossom tree in the backyard. He wasn't alone since a few of my nephews were playing near him so I wasn't too worried. When I went back to wake Hiroki up for an afternoon snack, there were dozens of butterflies flying around him."

Misaki asked. "Didn't he wake up?"

Fuyumi shook her head. "When Hiroki took a nap, he slept like a log. I wasn't surprised that he didn't wake up when a few of them walked on his face. They are light-weight to begin with anyway, but they must have tickled him. Nothing." She placed the peeler on the counter and turned toward Misaki. "He stayed asleep the whole time."

Interested in the rest of the story, Misaki paid close attention to his mother as she continued. "I just thought…those butterflies must think he's one of them if they are comfortable enough to get so close to him. I took a picture of this moment and had someone make copies. I gave them to my brothers, my parents and your father. They know why I call Hiroki, _little butterfly_."

"Thank you for telling me, mama." Fuyumi walked toward him and kissed his cheek. "Although…"

"What is it little bird?" Misaki pouted. "I just remembered something, nii-san told me that another reason you call me 'Little bird' was because birds tried picking me up from my blanket when I was still tiny."

Fuyumi busted into laughter. She patted the top of Misaki's head as his pout grew bigger.

Misaki cried out. "Is that true?"

"No, no, not at all." Fuyumi's laughter slowed down as she held Misaki tight. "He's just messing with you sweetheart, but I do remember ducks running after you in the part over your sandwich. Hiroki intervened and you wouldn't let go of him until we got home."

"Oh yeah.." Misaki shivered as he recalled the memory. "I don't want my rubber ducky for my bath anymore mama."

Fuyumi nodded her head. "I'll get rid of them."

Grateful that his mom would get rid of the rubber toy, he sighed in relief. A rubber duck was harmless, but he didn't want a reminder of the duck incident.

Misaki gave her a cheeky grin when he declared. "I like my nickname for nii-chan. It's way better."

"Nope, mine is better, little bird."

"Nu uh. Mine is better!"

Fuyumi started tickling him with a huge grin on her face. "It's mine!"

"No!" Misaki cried as he laughed hard. "Mama!"

Soshi passed the kitchen in his yukata and heard the noise coming from inside. He paused at the door, arching a brow at the display before his eyes. Fuyumi towered over their youngest child, tickling him into submission. He clearly missed the whole situation and he wasn't going to stay to find out.

Fuyumi knew his ticklish spots and would exploit them to her advantage.


End file.
